Taketa’s license case, evacuation claims and the Masaoka land law test

Vol. 30, No. 10, March 11, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

A Santa Clara County court denied Toshinaga Taketa’s suit to regain the liquor license taken during the war, and his attorney said he would appeal to the State Supreme Court. Evacuation claims drew steady attention: a San Francisco claims office opened and heard its first cases, and the JACL asked for more field offices. The Masaoka case, which challenges California’s alien land law, was set for trial in Los Angeles on March 13, and an editorial on page 4 argued it could settle the law’s fate. Lawrence Nakatsuka and I. H. Gordon wrote about the Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s objection to a Nisei judgeship.

Elsewhere in these 8 pages, the House vote on Hawaii statehood drew praise for the wartime loyalty of Japanese Americans, and Premier Shigeru Yoshida spoke of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Chapter news came from Cleveland, Omaha, Venice and Parlier, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about Thursday evening radio. Page 6 and 7 cover the national JACL bowling tournament in San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

National

• Taketa Loses First Round in License Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Toshinaga Taketa lost the first round of his suit to regain a liquor license taken during the war when Santa Clara County Superior Court denied his writ of mandate on grounds of the statute of limitations. His attorney said he would appeal to the State Supreme Court.
• University of Washington Will Begin Study of Nisei, Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A University of Washington research program financed by liquor-by-the-drink license fees will study physical differences between Nisei and Issei parents. The broader program also covers rheumatic fever, tuberculosis, and heart disease diagnosis.
• Wartime Loyalty of Hawaii Nisei Hailed as House Vote Favors Statehood Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee praised the House vote supporting Hawaii statehood and congressmen cited the wartime loyalty of Japanese Americans during debate. Opposition in the Senate is expected from Senator Hugh Butler.
• Appellate Court Orders U.S. to Return Seized Land to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court and ordered the government to return land seized from Shoso Nii in Hawaii. The court found he had not traded with the enemy when he acquired the property before his father returned to Japan.
• Honolulu Court (Star-Bulletin vs. Masaoka): Differences in Race Relations Approach of Mainland, Hawaii Shown by Newspaper’s Protest, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strongly objected to Mike Masaoka’s suggestion that a Nisei be appointed to the territorial circuit bench, arguing race should not be a qualification. The article contrasts the mainland JACL’s public emphasis on discrimination with the quieter, merit-based approach of Hawaii’s Nisei.
• Canadian Legislator Asks End of Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rupert Haggen, a CCF member of the British Columbia legislature, asked for an end to race prejudice against Japanese Canadians, saying they proved good citizens during the war. His remarks appeared aimed at Senator Tom Reid, who led wartime restrictions.
• Outstanding Claims Against Seattle Bank Reported Satisfied, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Washington state banking supervisor J. C. Minshull reported that all outstanding claims, including $1,000,000 owed to depositors of the closed Sumitomo Bank of Seattle, have been paid. About $60,000 remains for creditors who have not filed claims.
• Deadline Near for Damage, Loss Claims on Contraband, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The deadline for filing claims for loss or damage to contraband articles such as cameras, weapons and radios seized during the war is March 15. Claims are handled under Public Law 17 introduced by Sen. Pat McCarran at the JACL ADC’s request.

Community

• CC District Council To Hold Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California JACL district council will hold a special meeting March 12 at the Fresno Buddhist church, hosted by the American Loyalty League. Topics include the local regional office and plans for selecting a queen representative for the national convention.
• Student Enters Finals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Junko Shimizu, a senior at San Pedro high school, won the district competition in the Daily News scholarship contest and will enter the finals March 15. She also won the Los Angeles Examiner’s Bill of Rights essay contest.
• Japanese American Evacuees Report Decrease in Racial Bias in Sacramento Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Sacramento Union feature reports that Japanese Americans returning to Sacramento have found improved status and less discrimination since the war. Attorney Henry Taketa and others describe a more tolerant climate and better employment opportunities.
• Cleveland JACL Starts Member Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Cleveland JACL reported a highly successful 1950 membership campaign with a goal of 300 members in sight. Two competing units are running neck and neck under chairman Shig Nakanishi.
• Fifty Nisei Register to Vote in Coming Chicago Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fifty Nisei registered to vote at a mass ceremony in Chicago sponsored by the Chicago JACL and Resettlers Committee ahead of April primaries. Organizers aim to make Nisei a political factor and to raise community awareness of civic issues.
• Venice JACL Plans First Spring Social, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Venice JACL will hold a spring banquet-social on March 24 at Stern’s barbecue restaurant, featuring installation of officers by national JACL 2nd vice president Frank Chuman. Entertainment by Nisei performers is planned.
• Parlier Installs 1950 Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Parlier JACL installed its 1950 cabinet at a dinner near Parlier with Kengo Osumi as president. Regional director Toru Ikeda spoke on the Walter resolution.
• Survivors of A-Bomb Blast Attend School in California City, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Hiroshima bombing survivors, Lily Yoshikawa, Frances Yoshikawa, and Amy Maeda, have enrolled at Placer Union high school in Auburn to complete their education. Yoshikawa was injured by glass fragments while Maeda’s school was converted into an emergency hospital.
• Time Magazine Reports Honor Conferred on Nisei Attorney, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney John Fujio Aiso received an honorary master of arts degree from Brown University at a Los Angeles dinner, two years after he was asked to decline an honor in 1926 due to his ancestry. Aiso later served as a lieutenant colonel in World War II and became the first Japanese American to join the Los Angeles Bar Association.
• Omaha Chapter Names Nakadoi as Prexy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Bob Nakadoi was elected 1950 president of the Omaha JACL at a meeting on March 8, along with a full slate of new cabinet officers. The group also began planning an installation banquet.
• Masaoka Describes JACL ADC Program at San Diego Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka described the JACL ADC program, achievements, and objectives to more than 150 San Diego Nisei and Issei at a community meeting on March 5. Colored films of Japan were also shown.
• JACL Credit Union Declares 3½ Percent Dividend for Members, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL credit union declared a 3½ percent dividend and reported 848 members with savings of $86,581.83 at the end of 1949. Loans outstanding reached $81,524.58 and new officers will be elected at the March 20 annual meeting.
• News Photo Leads to Rabies Warning for Denver Family, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A rabid dog’s collar recognized in a Denver Post photograph led health officials to treat a Japanese American family’s pet and a 15-year-old girl exposed to it. The girl began Pasteur treatment while the family’s own dog received a booster shot.
• Secretary in JACL Office Authorized To Register Voters, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mrs. Yoshiko Ishimaru, secretary of the Los Angeles JACL regional office, was appointed deputy registrar of voters. Nisei are urged to register at the Miyako hotel office.

Military & Veterans

• Record of Nisei Combat Unit Aids Japan Democracy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Premier Shigeru Yoshida told Earl Finch that the record of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team has captured the imagination of Japanese people and aided Japan’s progress toward democracy. Finch visited with three Hawaiian 442nd veterans.

Incarceration & Redress

• Jacobs to Explain Policies of Evacuee Claims Division, by P.C. Staff, page 1. William H. Jacobs, chief of the San Francisco field office of the Justice Department claims division, will explain latest developments in evacuation claims to Northern California and Western Nevada JACL chapters on March 21. The San Francisco office opened March 1.
• Masaoka Brothers Test Case Will Challenge Legality of California Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Masaoka case will test whether an ineligible alien can hold an interest in land by examining a residential lot deeded to Haruye Masaoka by her citizen sons. The plaintiffs argue the alien land law violates the federal constitution by denying citizens of Japanese ancestry rights afforded other citizens.
• San Francisco Claims Office Hears Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first two claimants heard at the newly opened San Francisco evacuation claims office, Akira Iida and Mrs. Teruko Mary Nagura, were questioned thoroughly about their losses. Hearing officers may waive proof of purchase if claims appear made in good faith.
• Test Case Set on Short Cause Calendar of Los Angeles Court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Masaoka alien land law case is scheduled for a one-hour trial on the Los Angeles Superior Court short cause calendar on March 13. The plaintiffs seek to establish that a residential lot held for their Issei mother is free from escheat.
• Attorney Unable to Raise $50,000 Bail for Mrs. d’Aquino, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney Wayne Collins said he could not raise the $50,000 bail that Justice William O. Douglas set for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, who is serving a ten-year treason sentence pending appeal. Douglas had doubted she received a fair trial.
• Invite JACL To Conference on Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL ADC has been invited to the Fifth National Conference on Citizenship in Washington May 22-24, its third successive year of invitation. The delegation will include Mike Masaoka, Harold Horiuchi, and Lily Yasuda.
• Will Hear Two Strandee Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Federal court in Honolulu will hear restoration-of-citizenship petitions from Hatsuyo Ouye and Iwao Motoyama, both stranded in Japan, on March 20. Attorneys A. L. Wirin and Wilfred Tsukiyama represent them, citing coerced actions.
• JACL Asks Government Open Additional Field Offices for Adjudicating Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL ADC urged the Justice Department to open field offices in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Hawaii, and Alaska to assist evacuation claimants. Mike Masaoka argued that thousands of claimants there would otherwise face costly travel.

Commentary

• The Masaoka Test Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the Masaoka test case, which challenges the California alien land law, could finally establish the law as an unconstitutional invasion of private rights. It contends the law deprives citizen children of Japanese ancestry of rights derived from their parents.
• Nominee for Nobel Peace Award, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes that Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, who mediated the Palestine partition, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. It suggests such an honor for an American Negro would be highly significant in a tense world.
• The Bendetsen Appointment, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial questions the hasty Senate confirmation of Karl R. Bendetsen as Assistant Secretary of the Army, given his role in the wartime Pacific coast evacuation. It summarizes opposition from Dr. Galen Fisher and Father Hugh Lavery and Bendetsen’s defense.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This column collects brief notes on Nisei performers in New York, a Nisei chorine show at the Roxy, writer and staff movements, and other personal items. It also mentions Earl Finch’s mission and Nisei achievements in the arts and sciences.
• Radio Bedlam on Thursdays, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa complains about the stupid and unrealistic family situations on Thursday evening radio programs and worries about what children learn from them. He notes his own daughter’s tooth and yo-yo as a lighter aside.
• Star-Bulletin’s Opposition To Judgeship Bid Based on Incomplete Data, Says Gordon, by I. H. Gordon, page 4. I. H. Gordon argues the Honolulu Star-Bulletin opposed Mike Masaoka’s suggestion of a Nisei judge without checking the facts and based its objection on race. He contends that equal opportunity should not be denied based on race.

Obituaries

• Dr. Edwin R. Embree, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial mourns Dr. Edwin R. Embree, an authority on race relations who was an early national sponsor of the JACL and headed the Rosenwald Fund until 1948. His passing was a matter of regret for Americans everywhere.

Sports

• Japan Pro Team Wants Nisei Pitcher, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japanese pro baseball team owners asked Lefty O’Doul to find a Nisei pitcher, though most Nisei players are unwilling to play in Japan. The column also notes Wally Yonamine’s progress with the San Francisco Seals and other Nisei athletes.
• Mansfield Doi Will Captain Hawaii Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mansfield Doi was unanimously elected captain of the University of Hawaii football team for 1950. The column also reports on other Nisei athletes at various colleges.
• Ford Konno—New Hawaii Swimming Star, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seventeen-year-old Ford Konno, a student at Honolulu’s McKinley high school, set a meeting record in the 440 freestyle and may become Hawaii’s next world champion. Coach Yoshito Segawa of the Nuuanu Y trains him.
• Places 3rd; Ikeda Wins All-Events, While Towata Flowers Top Team Division at National JACL Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 1950 National JACL bowling tournament in San Francisco saw new champions in every event, with the John S. Towata Flowers team winning the team title. Dick Ikeda set a new all-events record of 1809 and Gene Sato took the singles crown.
• AAU Ban on Nisei, Nippon Games to Stand, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The AAU reaffirmed its ban on the Hawaiian AJA All-Stars playing eight games in Japan despite the Japanese Basketball Federation’s appeal. The AAU cited the national championship team rule and Japan’s status with the World Basketball Federation.
• Award 1951 JACL Bowling Tournament to Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Los Angeles won the bid to host the 1951 National JACL bowling tournament, awarded tentatively on condition that the tournament waive the ABC whites-only membership requirement. Hawaii also made a tentative bid for a later tournament.
• Yokota Named to All-Star Cage Team for Northern California, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Jim Yokota of Placer Union high school in Auburn was named to the first team of the San Francisco Examiner’s all-Northern California high school basketball team. He scored 320 points as Placer won 27 of 29 games.
• Nishimoto Sets New Record in Pullman Pool, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Joe Nishimoto, co-captain of the University of Oregon swim team, broke his own pool record in the 200-yard breaststroke at the PCC northern division meet. His 2:34.2 time bettered his earlier mark.
• Women’s Team Trophy Goes to Seattle All-Stars at National Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Seattle All-Stars won the women’s team title at the national JACL bowling tournament with a 2458 series. June Jue of Los Angeles captured the all-events crown with a 1585 series.
• Nisei Bowlers Take Top Prizes in Idaho Falls Open Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Nisei bowlers won first place in both the scratch and handicap divisions of the Idaho Falls open tournament. Jun Ueda took the scratch title and Kay Tokita won the handicap singles.

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